Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

In Wake of Strikes, HPA Focuses on Industry Recovery

30/11/2023

By Debra Kaufman

Both the writers and actors strikes are over, after 148 days and 146 days, respectively, but the damage has been done. According to CNN, as of September 21, the financial impact of strikes surpassed $5 billion. That comes as no surprise to the thousands of individuals and the untold number of companies driven to poverty and bankruptcy during months. Though the focus was on the writers and actors, the impact of the strikes rippled throughout the industry, from lighting designers to hair & makeup. The dire level of job loss led the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to approve a motion brought by Supervisors Hilda Solis and Lyndsey Horvath to support the WGA strike and all the small businesses hurt by the stoppage in TV/film production.

The post production industry has felt a seismic impact from the strikes and HPA saw the need to ensure that the post production industry - including post, visual effects and sound communities - was acknowledged as part of the supply chain that had been disrupted, leading to job loss and business closures. In August, the HPA issued an Open Letter describing how vital its constituency is to the film/TV supply chain. HPA president Seth Hallen reported an overwhelming number of positive responses to the letter. Many members of the community were grateful that the HPA, without taking sides, wanted to make sure that the post/VFX/sound communities were kept top of mind, says HPA president Seth Hallen.

At the same time, HPA formed the Industry Task Force (ITF) which has been busy reaching out to numerous government entities and individuals to seek relief for businesses and workers in post, adds Hallen. He recounts meeting with Supervisor Horvath and, later, a member of her staff at the Hollywood Partnership 2023 Annual Meeting (Hallen also serves on the board of the Hollywood Partnership). Supervisor Horvath and her team were very receptive about the post production community, says Hallen. This indicates a growing awareness and concern at the County level about our community's challenges.

HPA leaders also met with chief executive/film liaison Gary Smith of the Los Angeles County Film Office, who has led an initiative to make some money available for small businesses impacted by the strike. The HPA task force has also established contact with several other governmental officials, including the offices of California State Senator Ben Allen. HPA is also in discussion with California Chief Deputy Treasurer Patrick Henning, in California State Treasurer Fiona Ma's office, about the potential of low-interest loans to companies impacted by the strikes.

Hallen says that Los Angeles Department of Economic Opportunity chief executive Stephen Chung mentioned the impact of the strikes on the post production industry in a presentation at the Hollywood Partnership meeting. I was pleased to hear that he made it a point to mention the post production industry, and that he acknowledged how it will continue to be impacted and have a longer recovery period due to the production cycle, says Hallen.

The ITF is releasing an Open Letter 2, which expands on its original letter. Additionally, the task force will be developing other avenues for participation, such as a Town Halls.

To that end, stresses Hallen, the important thing to remember is that, for the post community, things may get worse before they get better. Think how long it will take for productions to spin up now that the strikes are over he explains. It might not be until closer to late Spring/Early Summer 2024 that post production will really be back in business in a meaningful way.

HPA has also contacted other groups and guilds in the Hollywood production community that haven't gotten as much notice as writers and actors but have been badly hurt by the cessation of production. We've reached out to American Cinema Editors (ACE) and our friends at the Visual Effects Society (VES) and the Cinema Audio Society (CAS), says Hallen. We've also been in conversation with members of the Property Masters Guild and the Set Decorators Society of America (IATSE Local 44) and Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild (IATSE Local 706), which held an October rally at Los Angeles City Hall. HPA has been doing everything we can to reach out to different parts of the community, says Hallen. And we're going to continue to make sure that the post production industry is represented.

We know this is a process, and there's a road ahead to travel. We plan to keep the spotlight on the needs of the post production industry and help to drive actions from governmental and industry bodies, he says. At the same time, we will keep our community fully informed about our efforts. This transparency will only strengthen our collective voice. Together we can build a more robust and sustainable future for the media creation industry.

HPA will continue to elevate and celebrate its community, as well as educate, and provide opportunities to network. Despite all the disruption, it's business as usual in all our initiatives, and the role of HPA as a critical connector of the post production industry is unchanged. Hallen says. For example, earlier this week we gathered at the Television Academy to celebrate the 18th annual HPA Awards. It was an amazing evening, full to capacity, and a testimony to the strength and talent of this community. We all understand the value of the work that our constituents are involved in. We're dedicated to making sure the wider community does too.

For information about HPA and how to get involved with ITF visit HPAONLINE.com.
LINK: https://hpaonline.com/in-wake-of-strikes-hpa-focuses-on-industry-recov...
See more stories from hpa

North America Stories

10/09/2026

First AI-Generated Golf Announcer To Debut During New Mexico Open

Duff Foreman is an AI-generated announcer who will add color to this month's New Mexico Open...

10/09/2026

IBC 2026: Bitmovin Rolls Out Encoder Version 3

Bitmovin is rolling out Encoder Version 3, the next major release of the technology behind its VOD and Live Encoders. Version 3 is built on a premise every stre...

10/09/2026

IBC 2026: Net Insight Highlights Open Live Media for Controlled Live Services

At IBC2026, on booth 1.B47, Net Insight will showcase Open Live Media, its architecture for delivering resilient live media services across networks, partners, ...

10/09/2026

PWHL, Scripps Sports Sign National Television Deal for 2026-27 Season

The Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) and Scripps Sports have announced a national broadcast rights agreement for the 2026-27 season, a landmark par...

10/09/2026

IBC 2026: Trusted Partner Network Debuts Fix It or Risk It to Tackle Everyday Security Risks

The Trusted Partner Network (TPN), the global content security initiative powere...

10/09/2026

NFL Brings Back Creator Programs to Deliver Access, Original Storytelling During the 2026 Season

The NFL is launching its most expansive creator programming yet, bringing togeth...

10/09/2026

Sportsnet Removes 150 Blackouts for More National NHL Games Than Ever in 2026-2027 Season

Sportsnet is set to deliver its biggest hockey season ever with a national sched...

10/09/2026

IBC 2026: LiveU Showcases Starlink for News and Sports Broadcast as Clarus Integrated Reseller

LiveU is now a Clarus Integrated Reseller, bringing Starlink's fast, reliabl...

10/09/2026

IBC 2026: Mimir Develops Single Layer for Content, Metadata, AI Orchestration

Mimir is the cloud-native media production platform built for teams that need to move media fast across live, archive, web, social, and broadcast workflows. At ...

10/09/2026

IBC 2026: ATSC 3.0 To Receive Technology & Engineering Emmy Award for Significant Advancement in Television Broadcasting

ATSC is being honored with a 2026 Technology & Engineering Emmy Award by the Nat...

10/09/2026

Audio-Technica Presents BP880R Contact Transducer for Immersive Sports Broadcast, Production Audio Enhancement

Audio-Technica has introduced the BP880R Contact Transducer, a specialized micro...

10/09/2026

ESPN, ION Team Up to Broadcast WTGL Starting on Nov. 8

TMRW Sports in partnership with the LPGA, today announced multiyear U.S. media rights agreements with ESPN and Scripps Sports/ION to bring WTGL, the new women&#...

10/09/2026

SportsNet Pittsburgh Honors Roberto Clemente Day With Second-Annual Live Spanish-Language Pirates Telecast

SportsNet Pittsburgh (SNP) in partnership with Major League Baseball and the Pit...

10/09/2026

Tennis Channel Gives Fans Options With Premium Subscription on Roku

Tennis Channel announced today its launch as a Premium Subscription on The Roku Channel. Tennis Channel offers viewers a single home for Tennis Channel and Ten...

10/09/2026

IBC 2026: Dolby Expands Dolby OptiView Platform With New Capabilities

Dolby has announced major updates to Dolby OptiView, its live sports platform, ahead of IBC 2026. The updates include new AI-powered intelligence to better unde...

10/09/2026

Dalet Names Brian Doheny as CEO

Dalet has appointed Brian Doheny as CEO. Doheny joined Dalet as President and Chief Revenue Officer in April 2026. Since joining Dalet, Doheny has led the compa...

10/09/2026

IBC 2026: Sony Demonstrates Various Creative Solutions for Attendees at the RAI

Sony, as well as its partner company Nevion, is starting IBC 2026 with a handful of announcements for attendees to see on the show floor. Sony Announces the 4t...

10/09/2026

SoFi Stadium Solidifies Production Output With Multi-Layered Tech Renovation

The six-year-old venue is expanding capabilities for NFL action, Super Bowl LXI, 2028 Summer Olympics SoFi Stadium, as well as the surrounding area known as Ho...

10/09/2026

Nielsen launches CTV ad spend data into its French Ad Intel product

France launch follows UK and Germany as Nielsen expands product across EMEA Paris, France, September 10, 2026 - Nielsen, a global leader in audience measuremen...

10/09/2026

Fabric Data, TMT Insights Merge to Create Fabric Insights

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

10/09/2026

Leading Audio Manufacturers Join Forces on Dialog Intelli...

Leading professional audio manufacturers NUGEN Audio, RTW, Steinberg and Telos Alliance have joined forces with Fraunhofer IDMT to establish a common approach t...

10/09/2026

Setplex Introduces AI Insider for Faster Smarter Video Se...

Built Into Setplex's Zapflex Platform, AI Insider Turns Video Service Data Into Actionable Insights Setplex today introduced AI Insider, a breakthrough new...

10/09/2026

sync labs to Introduce sync productions at IBC2026 Bringi...

Managed service changes dialogue without actor-specific training or facial rigging while preserving the original performance and fitting established post-produc...

10/09/2026

ACT Pixel Academy Autumn Courses PR

The ACT Entertainment tvONE and Green Hippo Pixel Academy has released its autumn course schedule, with hands-on training dates in September, October and Novemb...

10/09/2026

Orange Polska Reaffirms Its Trust in Viaccess-Orca with M...

Orange Polska continues to Rely on Viaccess-Orca for Secure TV Services and the Next Phase of its Technology Evolution Viaccess-Orca (VO), a global leader in T...

10/09/2026

Generate and create directly in your timeline with new AI-powered innovations in Premiere and After Effects

Generate and create directly in your timeline with new AI-powered innovations in...

10/09/2026

Tedial to introduce Media Business Hub at IBC 2026

Tedial is introducing Media Business Hub (MBH) at IBC 2026, a new business enablement platform designed to help media organizations unlock the full value of the...

10/09/2026

Globecast Unveils Next Phase of Media Orchestration at IB...

Globecast, a leading provider of broadcast, media and entertainment managed services, will unveil the next phase of its transformation at IBC2026 with a preview...

10/09/2026

Fabric Data and TMT Insights Merge to Create Fabric Insig...

Fabric Data and TMT Insights today announced that the two companies are combining to create Fabric Insights, uniting authoritative data, purpose-built software,...

10/09/2026

Operative Launches Unified Platform to Transform Advertis...

Operative, the preferred advertising and broadcast management provider for the world's leading media brands, today announced a comprehensive slate of new pr...

10/09/2026

Leader announces new Sx2 handheld Test and Measurement se...

Test & measurement innovator, Leader Electronics of Europe, has announced the launch of its latest range of handheld signal generation, analysis and monitoring ...

10/09/2026

Kiloview Partners with Zixi to Deliver Reliable IP Video...

The partnership begins with native Zixi protocol support on the Kiloview D350 and will extend to deeper product integration and joint go-to-market initiatives ...

10/09/2026

Avid and FilmLight announce strategic partnership to reimagine the color pipeline for post production

Avid and FilmLight announce strategic partnership to reimagine the color pipelin...

10/09/2026

Maxon Brings Exclusive Preview of Fall Innovations to IBC2026

Maxon Brings Exclusive Preview of Fall Innovations to IBC2026 Brie Clayton September 10, 2026 0 Comments IBC attendees will get the first look at new ...

10/09/2026

Three Boston Conservatory Dance Alums Honored for Their Early-Career Promise

Three Boston Conservatory Dance Alums Honored for Their Early-Career Promise India Hobbs and Demetrius Lee received Princess Grace Awards, while Lilly David t...

10/09/2026

MonoNeon Returns to Berklee to Kick Off Signature Series

MonoNeon Returns to Berklee to Kick Off Signature Series The Grammy-winning bassist and alumnus performs with students and faculty from the Planet MicroJam In...

10/09/2026

Study: NFL Ad Revenue to Hit a Record $6.3 Billion

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

10/09/2026

Teradek Unveils Bolt 7 With 900MHz RF Pipeline

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

10/09/2026

Survey: Roku Remains Most Popular Streamer

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

10/09/2026

Sony Unveils Fourth Generation Of DWX Wireless Mics

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

10/09/2026

Scripps Revamps Local Media Regional Leadership Structure

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

10/09/2026

Boots on the Ground: WARDOGS' Goes All Out on GeForce NOW at Early-Access Launch

Gear up: The latest PC games and major updates are ready to play on GeForce NOW ...

10/09/2026

d-Matrix Adopts NVIDIA NVLink Fusion for Rack-Scale XPU Deployment

AI inference chipmaker d-Matrix today announced it will use NVIDIA NVLink Fusion to connect its next-generation Raptor XPUs to NVIDIA's AI infrastructure pl...

09/09/2026

IBC 2026: Sony Introduces SEL814G Fisheye Zoom G Lens

Sony Electronics has announced the SEL814G, the company's first fisheye zoom G Lens for full-frame Alpha E-mount cameras. The lens will be available in Octo...

09/09/2026

IBC 2026: Telestream Expands Practical AI Capabilities Across Vantage and UP Platform

Telestream has announced an expansion of its Practical AI capabilities across th...

09/09/2026

IBC 2026: Chyron and Haivision Announce Camera-to-Cloud Live Production Integration

Haivision and Chyron have announced a technology partnership integrating Haivisi...

09/09/2026

ManningCast Reveals 2026-27 Season Schedule with Heist Mini Movie

Omaha Productions has released ManningCast: Heist, a short film featuring Peyton and Eli Manning attempting to break into NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's o...

09/09/2026

IBC 2026: Imagine Communications to Showcase XVR Updates

Imagine Communications will demonstrate the next evolution of XVR at IBC2026 (Stand 1.B73, RAI Amsterdam, September 11-14). XVR is Imagine's channel-in-a-b...

09/09/2026

IBC 2026: swXtch.io Launches AI Broadcast Orchestration Tool abbe

swXtch.io has announced abbe, an AI-based orchestration layer for live media workflows, making its world premiere at IBC2026 (Meeting Room 5.MR13, Hall 5, Septe...